‘Bus use decline can be reversed’

Ahead of next month’s UK Bus Summit in London, senior bus industry figures have argued that a sustained decline in bus use across Great Britain is not inevitable. But the industry needs a long-term investment strategy and help with congestion

The decline in bus use across the United Kingdom can be halted if the right interventions are made. That is the message from the UK bus industry to central and local government ahead of next month’s UK Bus Summit in London.

This view is expressed by a number of senior industry figures in the UK Bus Summit Review 2019, which accompanies this edition of Passenger Transport.

“We need a long-term bus investment strategy if we are to reverse this decline and maximise the role the bus can play in supporting jobs, growth and productivity,” writes Claire Haigh, chief executive of pro-bus campaign group Greener Journeys.

Haigh wants this strategy to include:

Revenue support for bus services;

Increased funding for local transport;

Increased investment in local bus infrastructure;

Modal switch from car to sustainable transport;

Demand management measures to reduce traffic.

Giles Fearnley, managing director of First UK Bus, saw “definite reasons for optimism” in 2018, but argues that congestion continues to be the biggest threat to the bus industry. “It is vital that we continue to address this head-on,” he writes.